She couldn't stand him.

She despised him.

She hated him.

Those were the words Nari repeated to herself over and over.

It was early morning, the sun slowly rising over the school grounds. In the throes of autumn, it rose later in the day, leaving Nari running by her lonesome before dawn. Quiet huffs blew little wisps of white from her mouth as she ran, weaving in and around the trees and making her way along the side of the mountain. The only thing louder than her footsteps were her thoughts; bitter, irritated, and full of frustration.

To no one's surprise, the source of her current anger was the Norse god of fire and now, least favorite person on school grounds — which, considering her combative relationship with Thoth, was really saying something. In typical Loki fashion, the vexatious god had slingshot himself right to the top of her shitlist following his most recent prank.

It had all begun as Nari made her way from the Greek dorms. After finishing her afternoon with Hades, the older sister had run into Dionysus, who had just returned. After stopping to ask about her hand, he offered to walk back with her to crossroads. There was little reason for it, but she allowed it anyway. If he wanted to that badly, it couldn't hurt to humor him. Despite its rocky start, her day had finally shaped up to be a halfway decent one.

And then, Loki appeared.

Their walk had been a pleasant one, and Dionysus thanked her for spending time with his uncle. The gloomy god had spent centuries in near solitude; it was nice to see he had found a friend, especially in a human. She was suggesting the three of them have lunch together when Loki began his assault. It was unclear whether or not she had been his original target, but the result was ultimately the same.

Utter chaos.

In one moment, the two had been preparing to part at the fork. In the next, both she and her companion had their skin tones altered and her vision was turned a vibrant shade of orange. When she was finally able to remove the color from her eyes, it quickly turned red. Dionysus's quick thinking and reflexes were the only thing that stopped the woman from sending her classmate to Valhalla.

It had taken days to remove the staining, not only from her hair and clothing, but her skin itself. Dionysus had gotten it as bad as he did, but his tanner complexion allowed a quick recovery. Within 48 hours, his skin had returned to a semi-normal hue. Nari hadn't been so lucky. Her far lighter shade held the color far longer, leaving her to spend a good portion of the week as humanoid citrus.

That had been the final catalyst in ensuring that she never spoke to him again. That was her plan. And much to his frustration, she had managed to do. She finished classes and darted from the room before Thoth could even finish the word 'dismissed.' She would disappear the moment she heard his voice approaching from any direction. Any glimpse of crimson made her do an immediate about-face. Outside of class, he almost never laid eyes on her; she had even shifted their seats, sitting as far away from him as desk space would allow.

But there was one thing that she couldn't avoid, and that was worst of all. She had removed him nearly every facet of her daily life… but she couldn't remove him from her mind. It seemed no matter what she did, Nari couldn't stop thinking about him. Though through a red-tinted lens, the god of fire was living rent free in her head, and it was getting on her nerves. His ability to invade even thoughts regardless of distance only served to fuel the fire burning within her.

In fact… he was doing it again — she was thinking about him right now.

And as always, the realization had her gritting her teeth and grumbling under her breath. She grew more irritated with every step, each word rising in volume as she ran harder, faster, feet pounding against the forest ground. Shifting to the left, she transitioned into the narrowing path, paying little mind to an upcoming fork in the road. "What the fuck is wrong with him…? He is the worst. Stupid… childish… insufferable son of a —"

"Hah!"

"Ah!"

Her final insult was replaced with a startled squeal, combining with a second, deeper shout of confusion. Lost in her own little world, Nari neglected to check her surroundings as she approached the merging point. Why would she? No one else took the climbing forest path, let alone so early in the morning. At least, that was what she thought. Her collision with the other student quickly proved otherwise, sending both stumbling backward and crashing to the ground below.

Rubbing her head, Nari sighed and slowly climbed to her feet. "Ah… Sorry. I wasn't paying —"

"Damn it, watch where you're going, Human!"

Of course. Of all the people she could have plowed into, it had to be him. The second entry on her list of enemies. Growling, she crossed her arms and shot him a defiant glare. "I said I was sorry. You don't need to be such a dick."

"What'd you call me?!"

"Exactly what you are!"

"Why you —"

The pair were now at a standoff, glaring daggers at one another and holding their ground. Neither side was willing to back down, and as the first rays of sunlight peeked through the trees, Nari decided the argument was pointless. There was no way she would get any sort of civil response out of this man, and he was cutting into her running time. She couldn't afford to miss another day of class. Loki's little trick had already made her attendance to the last few spotty at best. No. It just wasn't worth the effort.

"Forget it. I don't have time for this." With a flippant eyeroll, she turned away from him and washed her hands of the matter.

"Hey! I'm not done with you!"

The sound of a pair of quickly approaching footsteps sent her eyes into yet another rotation. She was over the situation, but Takeru clearly wasn'. She kept up her pace, refusing to stop for any further foolishness. "Well, I'm done with you."

"What?"

"I have nothing more to say to you. Just leave me alone."

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

With their argument finally concluded, she sighed and regained her focus. Regulating her breathing, she continued onward, letting her feet fall back into a familiar rhythm. A rhythm that was being repeatedly interrupted by a second pair of feet. A glimpse of blue in her periphery revealed the culprit, who seemed similarly irritated by her own presence. With a huff, she shot him another glare. "Why are you following me?"

"Me? Why are you following me? You're in my way."

"Your way? I take this path almost every day."

"So do I."

Nari sighed. Apparently, there was no getting out this situation. At this point, they were already partway up the mountain path. The winding road stayed narrow for the remainder of the journey, and they were so far out that turning around would be senseless. To be honest, she was a little surprised to see him there at all. It was because of its nature that she took this particular path; it was such a tricky trail; she was less likely to run into any interruptions. Except for this one apparently. Shaking her head, she continued on, keeping her eyes forward and saying nothing else.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, the two students resigning themselves to tense silence. There was nothing to be said between them, so there was little sense in throwing kindling onto the fire. But as their training went on, the two found that they were slowly beginning to mind each other's company a little less. Despite their continuing conflict, they were oddly compatible, both falling easily into step at a similar pace. By the end of the run, they were standing side by side extending their limbs and catching their breath. After a few moments of silent stretching, Takeru turned toward her, a look of astonishment on his face.

"Huh. I'm surprised you could keep up."

"Why? I told you, I run this path almost every day," she responded, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"Heh." She could tell from the tone of his voice that he was genuinely surprised. It seemed he hadn't taken her seriously, which annoyed her to no end. But Nari couldn't be bothered to care. What he did next, however, surprised her. With the slightest hint of a grin appearing on his face, he complimented her. "Not bad… for a human."

"Why thank you. I so yearn for your approval," she said, each syllable dripping with lighthearted sarcasm.

"Hmph." The two fell silent once more, the only sound between them their labored breaths. Nari noticed his mouth hovering, opening, and closing with uncertainty. It seemed the sea god wasn't done with her yet.

"Something on your mind?"

In another shocking turn of events, Takeru nodded. "I'm impressed. You're strong, it's evident that you train. Your sister could learn something from you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Nari asked.

"I'm talking about Weed. Unlike you, she is weak. I challenged her in combat a little while ago… she didn't last long."

"You beat up my sister?!" Her initial confusion vanished, instead twisting into a menacing glower.

"Calm down, it was a sparring match!" Takeru defended himself, matching her expression with one of his own.

"That isn't helping your case, Takeru…"

"Look, your sister wouldn't leave me alone about joining a club or whatever, so I challenged her to a duel. If she won, I would sign up for something. If I won, she'd come off this shit."

"Oh… you're talking about swordplay." Nari softened, realizing that her sister was safe. "I forgot she likes swinging that thing around."

"You knew?"

"Of course, I knew, I grew up with her. She's been practicing Iai since she was a little kid. Trained every day for as long as I can remember. I'm not surprised to hear she hasn't stopped, even here."

"Yeah, well skill doesn't matter if you can't stand to your opponent. Her body is too fragile, she was gonna get hurt. I told her to come back after she trained more."

Nari shrugged. "Makes sense… Yui is hell with a sword, but she doesn't do a lot of physical conditioning outside of practice."

"Well, what about you?"

"Huh?" Nari lifted an eyebrow, fixing him with her confused gaze.

"You. Do you practice Iai as well?"

"Me?" The student blinked, eyes widening when she realized he was serious. "Oh no, not me. I leave Yui to swinging sticks around. That stuff's not for me."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. It just… didn't seem necessary."

"Strange that only one of you would learn… aren't you both shrine women?"

Nari shook her head. "No, I did learn, but it was a long time ago. I haven't even touched a sword since before I left for school… It was always Yui's thing. I preferred ceremonial dance. That's more my speed."

Takeru looked suspicious for a few moments, sizing her up. Then, he shrugged, accepting her answer. "Shame. You would probably be really good at it."

"Is that a compliment I hear? Who the hell are you? What have you done with the god of the sea?"

"Shut it, Human. I give credit where it's due."

"Duly noted… I'll bear it in mind." Nari shook her head, hiding her grin. The sound of a warning chime reached their ears, emanating from the school. Classes would begin soon. "Well, that's the bell. You coming to class today, or what?"

Her question was met with pause. She couldn't read his expression, nor the gears turning in his head. After a few moments, he surprised her yet again and nodded. "Yeah, sure. May as well."

. . .

With classes over, Dionysus and Nari strolled casually down the hallway, chatting amongst themselves. After her workout earlier that morning, Nari didn't have the energy for a long, set of performances. Thus, much to Anubis' disappointment, she had finished practice early with the promise of a longer session next time. Then, as per her agreement with Yui, she went on her way to get something to eat. It was halfway to the cafeteria where she ran into the Greek god, who slowly fell into step beside her.

After a few minutes of silence, he finally came out with it. "Hey… are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, fine. Why?"

"An orange explosion comes to mind…"

"Just Loki being Loki."

"You haven't spoken to him since that day."

"Should I?"

"Not necessarily. I'm just saying, you were really upset."

"So? I'm always upset."

At that, Dionysus laughed, smirking back at her playful grin. "Yeah, but this time seemed different. I've never seen you take a swing at him before."

"It wasn't exactly having the best day after having my hand crushed. He just caught me in a bad mood, that's all."

He accepted her answer, albeit reluctantly. Having spent much time with her over the past few weeks, he had started growing familiar with her signals and tells. As such, it was becoming increasingly evident to him just what could be considered 'normal' versus a 'bad day.' However, it was clear she didn't want to discuss the matter further, so for now, he would give her space. "Alright, alright, I'll drop it. I was just concerned."

"Heh, you're always concerned… You know, why are you so protective of me anyway?"

"Why shouldn't I be? It's romantic, isn't it? A brave, heroic god coming to the aid of a beautiful damsel…"

Nari snorted. "Heroic, huh…? Okay, keep telling yourself that. And I'm not a damsel, by the way."

"Still beautiful."

"Not giving up, are you?"

"Should I? If you're not interested, I can take a hint."

"I just don't understand your fascination with me."

"What can I say? You are difficult to resist…"

"Is that so?" Nari chuckled and shook her head. Turning, she slowed her pace for a moment. She was getting that sinking feeling again… that someone was watching her. Looking around, she could see nothing more than the doll students going about their business. Even still…

"Yes. It has been a long time since I met someone like you."

"What's that supposed to mean, someone like me?"

"Someone resistant to my charm," he replied with a wink.

"Wow, aren't we conceited?" Nari gave him a playful punch on the arm, to which he reeled back in dramatic fashion. "Surely, I can't be the only one."

"No, not the only one, but certainly one of a few. It has been many years since I met another god like that, let alone a human." To his side, he saw a curious eyebrow raise to her hairline.

"Another god?"

Dionysus nodded. "Goddess, to be exact, and a beautiful one at that. I didn't know her long… but she was interesting. She didn't respond to my power either."

"Sounds like a smart lady."

"Ah, you wound me."

The two shared a light chuckle, turning and making their way down another corridor. "So, what is it, you're not used to people telling you no? That's why you're so enamored with me?"

"Not at all. I just find you desirable."

"Ha! That's funny."

"Is it?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Any particular reason?"

"Well, for one thing, it's absurd. I mean, you're a god and I'm a human. How exactly is that supposed to work? We gonna run off to Mount Olympus together and elope?" she asked with a grin. To her surprise however, Dionysus looked genuinely confused at her question.

"Why not?"

"Why not…? Um, your father for one. The dude drops lightning on people just for looking at him the wrong way. He doesn't seem very fond of humans, let alone me. Something like that couldn't possibly be good for my personal health."

He shrugged. "I'm sure we could figure something out."

"That… doesn't sound very promising."

The god of fertility gave a lighthearted chuckle, and a smile that made her heart stutter. "Relax, Fotia… it happens all the time. There have been plenty of unions between humans and gods. Surely, those have been documented?"

"Uh, yeah. Typically, with disastrous results. But sure, if you want to roll the dice on my soul, go ahead. I'm sure we could —" Nari halted her jesting when she noticed the atmosphere shift. His smile faltered into a grimace and his body tensed. It was only for a moment, and he quickly returned to a cheerful expression. But he couldn't hide the slight look of hurt in his eyes. "Dio…? What's —"

'Oh shit.' That was the moment she remembered his mother, Semele… Dionysus was a demigod. Her mouth had landed her in hot water again — it seemed that stepping on landmines was a talent of hers.

"I… that wasn't what I — I'm so sorry, I —"

Dionysus shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

"No, Dio, I didn't mean it that way —"

"I know." He offered her another smile, this time a genuine one. "I can understand why you would feel that way. Humans and gods messing around does tend to end badly… you're not wrong." Nari frowned, averting her eyes in shame. She didn't hang her head for long; her companion was having none of it. Instead, he lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "But I'm serious, Fotia. I really do like you."

"I-I…" Nari was frozen. She could feel her face heating up, quickly coloring her skin to what she assumed to be a similar shade to his hair. It was no secret Dionysus was a flirtatious god. She was used to his pestering by now, and his jokes. But there was something about the way he said — his sincerity — that made her heart skip a beat. And now, standing in the hallways, she was struck with the sudden realization that she hadn't ever taken the time to look at him up closely.

His emerald eyes were deep green pools, so clear she could see her own reflection in them. Smooth skin like porcelain, long maroon waves, soft as silk. His smile. His voice. It was easy to see why most women had such a difficult time resisting him.

But Nari wasn't most women.

After a few moments, she managed to tear her gaze away, freeing herself from his grasp and offering a nervous chuckle. "Y-Yeah, well… I'm starting to hear that a lot,"

"Oh, really? Sounds like I've got competition," he prodded, his lighthearted teasing making a return.

"Shut up."

The two shared another laugh, finally approaching the lunchroom. Reaching the entryway, they shared one last look with one another, a silent exchange of understanding. And then…

"Uwagh!"

A yelp followed by a loud crash snatched both of their attention. There on the floor, unsurprising to either one of them, was Balder, lying face down on the floor by a nearby table. He had, once again, managed a spectacular fall that was far more dramatic than could possibly be considered normal. Yet strangely, the food tray he had been carrying was somehow undisturbed, sitting neatly by his hands. It was as though someone had placed it gently on the floor before throwing the god himself off his feet. It was such an unusual situation Dionysus couldn't help but burst into laughter.

As Balder lifted his head with a sheepish grin, Nari shook her head and moved to wrest the clumsy god back to his feet with a single, incredulous question. "How?"

. . .

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Alright, moving right along! Oof, things are getting tense between the students... Thanks so much for the feedback, everyone.